How to make "sugo fresco" or "veloce" (sauce)

Ingredients --

Use as much garlic as you prefer; I use a decent amount as I also leave my garlic in larger chunks

Place knife over garlic (be careful of fingers!); apply pressure to smash garlic

This is how garlic should look; smashing garlic will release juices in the same way that juicing fruit would (this is why I do not finely chop my garlic)

Skin will come off easily

Chop garlic however you prefer; again, I chop a bit but leave garlic in large chunks (this is also good for those who like the taste but would rather avoid chomping down on a whole piece of garlic)

Pour a modest amount of olive oil in pan (I like to pretend I'm writing in Mandarin :); preheat oil

Place garlic in preheated olive oil; let brown lightly

Use whatever kind of tomatoes you prefer; my husband makes me use these (Roma tomatoes) as "that's what mama uses" back in Italy, but I'll sneak a tomato on the vine in once in a while..

Chop rinsed tomatoes; do not worry about size or uniformity as you will be cooking them down into a sauce

Cook tomatoes until they begin to soften

Add as much pepperoncino as you would like; a little bit of a kick is also delicious with seafood

Add parsley (fresh would be better but unfortunately I do not have a parsley plant)

Shave in a third or so of a vegetable cube (this is why I go light on salt - you can always add more later)

Add fresh, rinsed basil leaves - UNCHOPPED (unless you insist on chopping them...but don't!)

Add in a splash of "passata di pomodoro" to make sauce a little more wet

Simmer lightly

Ecco fatto! Always add a bit of "olio crudo" or uncooked olive oil over a finished sauce for the fresh taste